Dying isn’t any fun…but at least it’s a living.

Mickey7 is an Expendable: a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim. Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous—even suicidal—the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal…and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it.

On a fairly routine scouting mission, Mickey7 goes missing and is presumed dead. By the time he returns to the colony base, surprisingly helped back by native life, Mickey7’s fate has been sealed. There’s a new clone, Mickey8, reporting for Expendable duties. The idea of duplicate Expendables is universally loathed, and if caught, they will likely be thrown into the recycler for protein.

Mickey7 must keep his double a secret from the rest of the colony. Meanwhile, life on Niflheim is getting worse. The atmosphere is unsuitable for humans, food is in short supply, and terraforming is going poorly. The native species are growing curious about their new neighbors, and that curiosity has Commander Marshall very afraid. Ultimately, the survival of both lifeforms will come down to Mickey7.

That is, if he can just keep from dying for good.

How was it?

So Edward Ashton’s Mickey 7 is a sci-fi novel that feels like a popcorn movie in book form – mildly entertaining, and packed with snark, but not exactly digging deep into the philosophical, societal, and religious questions it raises. Depending on your expectations you if it is a popcorn flick in book form, it has just enough philosophical seasoning to make you go, “Huh, that’s kind of interesting,” but not enough to ruin your appetite. Or if the philosophical seasoning is what you’re after, you’re gonna stay hungry.

The premise is solid, Mickey7 is an Expendable, a disposable employee who gets sent on all the suicide missions for a human colony trying to survive on an icy, hostile planet called Niflheim. His job? To die – which happens a lot – so the rest of the crew doesn’t have to. Each time he dies, a new clone is regenerated with most of his memories intact. But when Mickey7 returns from a mission after he was presumed dead, he finds his replacement, Mickey8, already in place. Now, he has to hide his existence or face being “recycled” for protein.

The novel shines in its world-building and humor. Niflheim is a vividly harsh setting, with its freezing temperatures, scarce resources, and mysterious native lifeforms. The snarky, first-person narration from Mickey7 keeps the tone light, even when the stakes are life-or-death (or, in his case, death-and-rebirth). It’s a fun read.

That said, Mickey 7 feels like it’s skimming the surface of its most interesting ideas. The concept of being an Expendable – a person whose value is rooted in their ability to die for others – raises profound questions about identity, autonomy, and the ethics of sacrifice. But instead of diving into these themes, the book opts for snark. The philosophical musings are there, but they’re more like background noise than the main event. For example, the novel touches on the Ship of Theseus paradox – are you still you after being cloned multiple times? -, but it doesn’t explore it in any meaningful depth.

Mickey7 himself is a likable but somewhat underdeveloped protagonist. His casual, almost flippant narration makes the terrifying aspects of his existence – like being forced to die repeatedly for people most of who see him as an abomination for religious reasons while very much needing him. It’s hard to tell if this is intentional (a coping mechanism for Mickey) or just a missed opportunity to add emotional depth to the story. The same can be said for the author and what he chose to focus the novel on – cloning and survival – while raising serious questions.

The pacing is another mixed bag, it’s slow. While the book is easy to read, not a whole lot happens until the final act. Most of the story is spent on world-building and setting up the colony’s struggles – food shortages, failing terraforming, creepy alien life forms – but the actual plot takes its sweet time getting going, leaving you wishing for more action or deeper exploration of the novel’s themes.

Despite these shortcomings, Mickey 7 is undeniably fun. It’s the kind of book you’d happily watch as a movie – snarky, and visually engaging. If you’re looking for a light sci-fi read that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this is…a choice. But if you’re hoping for a deep dive into the ethics of cloning or the existential dread of being expendable, you might come away wanting more.

All in all, Mickey 7 is a decent read, a snarky, somewhat entertaining sci-fi adventure that’s more about survival than philosophy, but don’t expect it to blow your mind.

P.S.: I was told this novel is perfect for fans of The Martian and Dark Matter – I haven’t read either – but now I’m worried, even if I’ve seen The Martian‘s movie adaptation.

Mickey 7 is the inspiration for Academy Award-winning director Bong Joon-ho’s film Mickey 17, , starring Robert Pattinson.

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